Combined bronchoalveolar-vascular casting of the canine lung.

Canine bronchoalveolar and vascular corrosion casts were prepared using unfixed tissue and Dow-Corning Room Temperature Vulcanizing Silastic 734. The casts were observed using stereo light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The casts show the relationship between the vasculature and airway and demonstrate intricate microanatomical details. Also, microvasculature filling was enhanced using unfixed tissue as compared to my previously described technique using fixed tissue. Prewashing the microvasculature with cold phosphate buffered saline appeared to facilitate microvascular filling with silicone rubber. The described method is useful for rapidly making durable models for studying the normal respiratory airway and microvasculature. It should be useful in future studies of diseased pulmonary tissue as well as other normal and diseased tissues where microanatomical relationships between microvasculature and adjacent luminal structures are relevant.